Be ourselves: how our voices can build a national identity

In the new, democratic medium of podcasting, producers are colliding with the great issues of our culture. Is there such a thing as an authentic Australian sound?
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Image: Illustration from Radio National’s podcast the ‘The History Listen’. Illustration by Sonia Kretschmar

Authenticity and cultural sensitivity are all part of the fabric that make up the Australian sound in audio storytelling, according to those who pondered what that sound is as part of a discussion at the Audiocraft Podcast Festival in Sydney.

‘In the beginning of Australian broadcasting, authenticity meant putting on an English accent and wearing a suit. In the ’90s, it was an old white man with a gold microphone,’ said Triple J Producer Mike Williams. ‘And now that you have access to a mic and you have the chance to build your own audience, authenticity is you; figuring out your voice is a process, the only way to do it is to start.’ .

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